Mix Tape
This weekend I went to visit my Mom in Florida. And while most of my childhood belongings were unceremoniously returned to me the second I got a basement of my own, a few precious items remained at my Mom’s.
Such as, a portion of my cassette collection (I think I have another portion—probably more from college—here somewhere.)
An embarrassment of riches. Riches of embarrassment. Enya, for Pete’s sake. WE ARE THE WORLD. (The Side B, Track 1 “Tears are not Enough” was the Canadian We Are The World. Pretty solid. Features Bryan Adams, unsurprisingly.) And who the heck is Bryan White?
Some solid mixes, though. The Mary Chapin Carpenter/Metallica mix got good airplay. As did “Hootie & Some Other Stuff,” I’m sure.
Summer Fun 1991 and Spring Break 1992 were also rockin’.
And let’s not forget cassingles. At one point, I kept them in a Caboodle, but at some point along the way they got transferred to the former home of my rad high tops.
The first tape I ever bought. From the East Ridge K-mart.
Which, clearly did not mean that much to be as the scotch tape over the holes on the top indicate I taped over it with something. Do you remember doing this?
After I snapped these pics, they went into the giveaway box for this thrift store. I was a little worried they would laugh me out of the building with these treasures, but when I was browsing the store I found 8-tracks. So look at me—ahead of the times.
In keeping with the whole “mix tape” theme, let’s switch gears to this week’s to-do list. It’s getting some action. Some. Let’s not get too excited here.
Tuesday:
Took a Walk, Talked to Insurance people, Began House Tour Page. 2 out of 3 of those things took a lot longer than I thought they would.
I did other stuff too, like watch “Revenge,” which I liked. Does anyone else think Heather Armstrong (Dooce) looks a LOT like Amber Valletta? Also, I really like Emily Van Camp. Low to moderate girl crush.
Yesterday:
Painted! It only took me 11 hours, but I think it’s done. The trim needs some MAJOR attention. Not sure I have it in me over the next few days, though.
Isn’t the color dreamy? Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore. (Every time I say the paint’s name, I want to follow it with “full of grace, the Lord is with thee.” and/or think it’s a sitcom from the 60s.)
Today, I may work on that whole fall wardrobe thing. And try the walk again. And call for a hair appt.
So…fill me in on your cassette collection. Greatest Hits? Did our collection overlap at all? Did you tape songs off the radio like I did? Am I as old as I fear I may be?
I thought I might recognize my handwriting on a few of those…and I do!
I just added a detail shot of some of your handiwork!
Wow. Someone really liked a lot of country back in the day?!?
Props to your En Vogue and Madonna selections. My first tape every was NKOTB, thank you very much. I think the last tape I ever bought was Pearl Jam 10, which the 15 and 12 year old I watch from time to time asked me who that was when their song came on the radio. When I told them it was Pearl Jam they said “He sounds awful!” Sigh…
1. Love, love, love ‘Revenge.’ Best pilot since DH? Maybe?
2. Was going to chastise you for forgetting ‘Brian White’s’ duet with Vanessa Williams, ‘Love Is.’ But that was Brian McKnight. So we are back at Square One.
3. I have some thoughts on the whole mix-tape phenom here: http://neuroticcity.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/mixing-it-up-in-which-the-oed-ruins-a-decade-long-pastime-in-one-fell-swoop/
4. I hope my parents haven’t tossed my tapes (the ones I didn’t toss myself, that is…) The pictures are fecking amazing.
5. Sweet Sensation, Seduction, Sa-Fire, The Cover Girls. All poor-man’s-Expose “artists” whose cassingles I spent money on. $3.50 each. So many more lattes I could have justified 20 years later …
6. I must say, there is something about knowing, viscerally, what the side-two-track-one song was (or the side-one-track-five, for that matter). Began to die quickly with CDs – totally gone now in the universe of MP3s.
7. Why was everyone at our high school obsessed with ‘Red Rubber Ball?’
8. Longest comment ever.
LOVE the old mix tapes. And Ace of Base? SOLID!
We have a small quarrel every time we find them (again) in the basement: Should they stay or should they go (now)? We’re down to the last boom box with a tape player, so one day the decision will be made for us!!
I think the taping over was something to do with recording. If you taped over the small square holes in the top, you could make a copy. So maybe one of your friends *needed* some New Edition in their life.
I heard a Best Buy radio spot the other day advertising “Boom Boxes.” I thought it was a joke at first! Didn’t know they still called them that!
Loved your blog today! Laughed hard. You see I have been collecting treasures from friends and family for my annual garage sale in a few weeks. Was shocked to see a 78 record – Raggedy Ann and Andy’s Book of Manners. And a 45 – Sesame Street Peter Pan. Cassette tapes include: Madonna, Little River Band, and Lisa Stansfield. Then tons of VHS tapes, which will probably be donated.
Guess our taste changes – have about 100 CDs, including Enya, ready for the big sale!
My dad had a little 45 record player and some records to entertain me when I was at his office. Far cry from the iTouches, DS systems, iMacs of today!
Not only in my lifetime, but in yours! Amazing!
As a matter of fact, I still have the blue and white record player and I know it plays 45 rpm…but it might play 331/3 records too. I am almost certain those records you played and entertained yourself listening too at the office are still there in the back and you can have the record player and records for your memorabilia shelf. Any interest? Remember this is now entering the realm of Antiques & collectables.
I still have at least 3 mix tapes with Love YBS! written on them in dotty letters. And Dave and I have 2-3 large boxes with many, many old tapes in them. I have a 1999 car with a tape deck, and a tape player in the house, but one of these days…
Still, making an iTunes playlist is in NO way the same commitment that making a mix tape was for YLS or a boyfriend. That was love, back then. Good thing we’re an old married couple! (I still have all the mix tapes Dave made for me, and he’d better have the ones I made for him!)
There was a LOT of love going into the mix tape. The opening song, the order, the slow jam, the finale! Kids don’t know what they’re missing! Glad you and Dave still have yours.
Have you ever read the book Love Is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield? Great (if sad) read!
Clearly you have amazing music taste ranging from “The Little Mermaid” to “Cocktail.” LOVE IT.
Must be a “Molly” thing!
Revenge is the the best show ever!! I am addicted. I was surprised I didn’t see a little Milli Vanilli though!! I had the Girl You Know It’s True single!! Elaine, Sorry about the VHS tapes – I thought it was worth a shot – I actually threw a bunch out too!!
I KNOW I had the Blame it on the Rain single. I definitely remember listening to my friends Milli Vanilli tape in study hall, though. With my fancy walkman.
A couple years ago–I think when I left Tampa–I took all my VHS tapes to the Ronald McDonald house, thinking I was being all benevolent. AND THEY ONLY ACCEPTED DVDs! (Not that I’m begrudging them the latest technology, I just thought it was funny.)
Those cassettes make me wonder how it is that we are married.
The fact that you’re painting the guest room while I’m drinking bier in Germany makes up for this.
Heil Navy!
Wow, blast from the past. We must be the same age because our cassette collections are almost identical. En Vouge, Paula, oh man, thanks for the memories.
Gotta love the 90s!
Those tapes brings back memories. We used to make mixed tapes for friends & boyfriends. My collections includes The Cure, Yaz, Erasure, & the Smiths. I even have some old school wrap tapes, ha! And yes, I used to record the radio too
You were WAY cooler than I was!
Bryan White is from college days. He had a song that we liked, maybe 2. However, I don’t remember what song that was, so we must not have liked it too much….
There were 3 songs. I stand corrected.
White has charted seventeen singles on the Billboard country charts, of which four reached Number One: “Someone Else’s Star” in 1995, “Rebecca Lynn” and “So Much for Pretending” in 1996, and “Sittin’ on Go” in 1997.
Oh yeah! Need to pull those up on YouTube for full effect. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m pretty sure I dubbed a few of those off you while living in Williford!
And the Hale Navy reminds me I still need to work on my living room a la the navy & green board you made for Leslie’s birthday…